Wednesday, January 25, 2017

During the Formaggian Succession Wars, "light" troops were rarely used for their intended purposes. Some were detached for patroling the hinterlands and providing lines of communication, but raiding and covering the flanks of an army has been outsourced to mercenary Freikorps from all around the world. As a result, most "homegrown" light units performed poorly and discipline was lax.

This had not been remedied even after the Schiavona clan took control and established themselves as rulers of all Quattro Formaggi. Most provincial commanders kept a small body of Cacciatore for surveying rough terrain and border control, but the pay was little, and besides a fusil (in better cases an old hunting rifle), a measure of dyed wool to cloth themselves and a barracks to sleep in, the men basically received nothing else from their masters.

When the Calvacasa rebellion broke out, the Cacciatori had to return to their former tasks, and due to the circumstances previously explained, they failed at it spectacularly. Some provincial commanders on the North went as far as to keep them safe inside redoubts and fortifications, to prevent mass desertion in the face of the enemy.

While a large contingent of the central garrison prepared to advance on the rebels, a group of young officers approached the higher military authorities in the capitol, and pleaded them to do something about the deteriorating state of the provincials. In case the well-trained and maintained royal troopers are redirected, they argued, the southern provincials also must be prepared to replace them in doing their tasks.

The first step was to commence the training of the provincials around the capitol, supervised by veteran officers and sergeants of the War of Succession. This had also meant that the same lobbyists had recognized the danger of "reinforcing a distaster" in the north: no manpower or resources were sent there, they were instead all given to the Parmigiano Military Council.

When the regulars and dragoons were somewhat up to date, the time has come for the light troops as well. Maledetto, Duke of Rospini, one of the many courtiers of questionable honor and intent (his main character trait is mustache twirling) around the person of Beatrice Schiavona has been tasked with reforming the Guild of Hunters, the organization all volunteer and provincial Cacciatore must be a part of.

His first edict was to organize two battalions of Royal Cacciatore, No. 1 Schiavona and No. 2 Parmigiano, and greatly reduce the number of provincials. He thought, and rightly so, that keeping the men under central supervision means more discipline, and more discipline means better combat effectiveness. While the court has little money to spend, they have given uniforms to the troops, and now training can begin.